Mavis Vermillion Academy of Excellence
by GreenSkittlesForGaara
Summary: Levy has found the school of her dreams, Mavis Vermillion Academy of Excellence; a boarding school known for its beauty and etiquette program. Why does she love it? It has the most beautiful library she has ever seen. But now that she's attending, will the library live up to expectation? And what's with the people who live in the Fairy Tail dorm, her new home? GaLe and others. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Mavis Vermillion Academy of Excellence**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

_Mavis Vermillion Academy of Excellence. The best school in Magnolia, and one of the top boarding schools in Fiore. Priding itself in the perfection of its campus, teachers, students and uniforms, MVAE is a classic, internationally accredited boarding school where students are treated as individuals. The school considers itself the idyllic place for students to grow and develop. The curriculum is specifically designed to allow students to achieve their optimal potential while maintaining their individuality. Etiquette is praised highly at MVAE and as such, part of their student curriculum is dedicated to refining their courtesy, civility, elegance and class. The students are…_

Levy sighed happily. The pamphlet for MVAE was so beautiful, showing rolling green lawns and Victorian buildings. She looked up from the pamphlet, up to the real deal in front of her. Students milled around her, many doing the same thing as she was; saying goodbye to their parents and heading in to explore the grounds. She was happy that my luggage had been dropped off the day before, now she didn't have to be weighed down.

She turned back to her mother. She was already tearing up. Levy grasped her hands and said, "Everything's going to be alright. I'll call you every weekend, and we'll always keep up to date on the internet." Her reassuring didn't seem to help, just reminded the mother that she was leaving. They'd never been separated for more than a day.

"Oh Levy," she hiccoughed, "I don't know what I'll do without you. Who will I take to the movies? Eat out with?" After her father left a few years ago, she had become such a recluse. The only friends she had were Levy and their cat.

Levy smiled apologetically. "I have to do this. Maybe you can talk with that girl at work you've been friendly with? She might want to go to the movies with you." Her mother hiccoughed again and nodded. They shared a final hug. It would be over two months until they could see each other again.

Levy steeled herself and turned to the school again. Nearly everyone was in casual dress so there was no way of knowing who would be in my dorm. I was in the biggest one, Fairy Tail. All the dorms were named after mythical creatures, the other two being Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale. Apparently the founder had a thing for the fantastical. She walked through the school's main high gates. A few students were standing near the entrance in their uniforms, one from each dorm. Levy headed to the girl that had the insignia for her dorm. The girl had long fiery red hair and a cool demeanour.

She smiled at Levy when she approached. "Fairy Tail dorm?" she asked politely. Levy nodded. "I'm Erza. I'm the current student council president, and a member of this dorm. Do you need a pamphlet or directions?" She was very eloquent. A perfect role model.

Levy declined her offers. "No, I have studied the pamphlet I had enough to already know at least the outside of the school layout. Have you lived in Fairy Tail long?"

Erza nodded. "I've grown up here at Mavis Vermillion Academy. Master Makarov took me in when I was a small girl in the town's orphanage."

Levy looked at her, surprised. "So the school took you in? That's amazing!"

Erza smiled again. "Yes, Master Makarov decided many years ago that he would bring the orphans here. Since then, the town's orphanage has actually closed; there was no need anymore. This is why Fairy Tail has the largest population. We are all there."

"Do they pay your tuition?"

"Yes, though we still have to show that we are a worthy investment. Though to date, I haven't seen anyone that didn't work their hardest to prove themselves." Her grin widened. "We all see Master Makarov as our father, we want to make him proud."

Levy spoke for a while more before heading further into the school. The information left her mind reeling. What kind of a school is this? What kind of a guy is this Master Makarov?! She knew he was the headmaster overseeing Fairy Tail dorm, but this was a bit crazy. How many students had he adopted in his time here…?

* * *

Levy waltzed around the school, taking in all the sights. She had passed the oval as she walked into the school, as well as the area dedicated to physical fitness. This area included a swimming pool, gym and ball courts. The main building and its connected sub building loomed over the school on the top of a hill. Beside it sat the large main hall, the location for many balls and events. In the far corner, on the opposite end of the grounds to the fitness area, was the student commons. It included a large open air plaza, the cafeteria, a small function room and the three dorms. Fairy Tail was certainly bigger, almost twice the size of the other two dorms. It also looked slightly haphazard, with many extensions having been added. There was a good chance that it had been the same size as the other two dorms, but they kept having to make it bigger to fit the incoming orphaned students. Levy wondered if that meant roughly half the students would be like that. She drifted off while staring at the dorm. She must've ended up with a lost look on her face because she was soon approached by a busty blonde.

A hand waved in front of her face, knocking her out of her stupor. "Hellllooo! Anybody in there?" Levy jumped slightly and looked at the girl. She was very attractive; shoulder length blonde hair much like her own, large breasts (very unlike her own) and a very short skirt. The girl grinned. "Hey, are you new here today?" Levy nodded her assent. "Which dorm?" Fairy Tail. "That's awesome! Me too! I only came in last year. I'm Lucy. Are you a paying, scholarship or adopted student?"

Levy tilted her head. "Adopted? As in, the orphaned students?"

Lucy nodded. "Yup, those. We generally just call them adopted, because they treat the Master like their dad. It's easier. So I guess you're not one of them? I'm paying, myself."

"I'm a scholarship student. You must come from a pretty rich family, to be able to pay in.

Lucy laughed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah, don't remind me. I wish I was just here on a scholarship. I tried to change to that this year but my father wouldn't hear of it."

"Why do you want to be scholarship?"

"I just hate living off my dad, you know? I'd much prefer to be able to attend here, with no ties. Be able to call this place my family." Her eyes darkened a little.

Levy tried to lighten the mood a little. "So, uh, are there any cute boys in the dorm?" It was the best she could think of at the time. Though, she wasn't entirely uninterested in the subject.

Lucy's attitude skyrocketed back to happy. "Oh yeah, we have plenty of crazy hot guys. It depends on your preference. We have cute, sexy, cool, brooding…"

"Brooding? That doesn't sound all that attractive." Levy wrinkled her nose.

Lucy tutted. "Don't knock it till you try it. Many girls love that type, wanna be the girl to change 'em, you know?"

"I suppose…"

"Have you been inside the dorm yet?" Levy shook her head and Lucy's eyes brightened even more. She looped arms with the other blonde. "Well, allow me to give you the grand tour."

Levy smiled. To think she'd be able to make a friend so easily. The day was going pretty well so far. They walked arm-in-arm down the side of hill to the dorm. The front doors were massive, and true to size, very heavy. Levy knew she would get a workout each day just trying to get in and out of the dorms. Inside on the first floor was the Fairy Commons; a check-in desk, a large sitting area with an impressive multimedia setup, a bank of computers up the far end and in the corner a door that led to a small kitchen and dining area. A few other doors on this floor led to some bathrooms, the communal laundry, a cleaning and linen cupboard, and the dorm mother's bedroom.

Lucy first led her to the two people standing beside the check-in book; a beautiful lady with long silver hair, and a very short, very old man. Lucy introduced them as Mirajane the dorm mother and Master Makarov. Levy shook their hands very shyly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both…" Levy muttered quietly.

Makarov grinned. "New blood huh? Welcome to the family!" It seems Lucy and Erza weren't joking about the family vibe.

Mirajane smiled gently, saying sweetly, "It's lovely to meet you too. Just call me Mira. I used to be an adopted student here at this dorm. Master Makarov is allowing me to stay whilst my two siblings finish."

Makarov laughed. "Nonsense Mira, you know you can stay as long as you want. Elfman and Lisanna too. I'm sure I can find jobs for them too!"

"Master, you're too kind," replied Mira, looking sad. "We could never impose on you more than we already are."

"You're my children, you'll never be imposing."

"Oh Master…" Mira wiped away a tear.

Lucy turned to Levy. "They're always like this, don't worry." Levy certainly wasn't worried, just… confused.

The next group they met was a collection of students relaxing on the couches on the first floor landing. A guy with bright pink hair, arm wrestling with another who was only wearing shorts. Two more people, one with blue hair in that fell into tight curls watching the arm wrestling couple intently, and a man with long black hair and multiple piercings, sat here as well off to the side.

The boy with piercings intrigued her. His eyes were a piercing red, angrily staring off into the distance. He had so many piercings; through his eyebrows, ears, nostrils and lip. His tanned skin showed off his large muscles, as well as multiple scars on his forearms. He wore all black. Everything about him screamed 'BAD NEWS' but Levy couldn't look away. She finally got what Lucy meant by girls liking the brooding type.

Lucy happily pushed her forward, presenting her like a prize. "Everyone, this is Levy. Levy, meet Natsu, Gray, Juvia and Gajeel."

The wrestlers didn't look up, too busy having a staring contest between themselves. Gajeel didn't even budge, just continues staring out the window as if nobody was there. Juvia looked at her and squinted, as if assessing her. "Another rival perhaps…?" she muttered away, her stare becoming more intense by the second.

All in all, a great welcome.

* * *

Levy laid back on her bare bed, staring at the ceiling. She had left Lucy and the others before to look around the dorms a while longer and check out her room. Surprisingly enough, she had been given the room beside Lucy's. And apparently, beside Gajeel's as well. Of the three floors in Fairy Tail dorm, she was placed on the only co-ed floor, between her first friend and the guy she found to be crazy attractive (for reasons unknown currently).

She heard a knock at the door. Lucy bounded in a moment later, without waiting for an answer. Levy reminded herself that the doors don't lock automatically. She also mentally remarked on how Lucy's breasts preceded her into the room. She pretended the smile on her face was from seeing Lucy, not from that mental image.

Lucy sat down in the chair at her still-bare desk and looked around at all the boxes on the floor. "Ah, memories," she sighed. "I left most of my gear here over the holidays so I only really have to unpack my clothes and my laptop."

"Lucky you," Levy remarked jokingly.

"Want me to help you? The Gray and Natsu went to the gym to see who could pedal fastest." She shook her head. "The rivalry never stops."

"What about the other two? Juvia and…" Levy didn't finish the sentence. She wanted to avoid blushing, thinking about that guy.

Lucy, despite never getting an answer, began unpacking the closest box. "Gajeel left soon after you to lie down in his room. Juvia has a massive crush on Gray, so she likely followed after them. Oh," she looked up from her work. "Before I forget. It's probably best, for the sake of your, well, everything, to not even consider Gray. Juvia will tear you apart." The look on her face told Levy that this was a very serious statement.

She laughed nervously. "I'll definitely keep that in mind. I don't think he's my type though. Too slender."

Lucy nodded assent. "That's the spirit. Just imagine him as a non-sexual entity. It's definitely for the best."

We laughed and got to work on the boxes. After Levy finished the first box, she decided to risk asking about him. "What… what about the others? Do they have any obsessed girls after them? Like, Natsu and… Gajeel…" She almost stuttered on his name, blushing.

Lucy looked down at her on the floor, assessing her. A grin spread on her face. She was caught. "Gajeel, huh?" Levy stared at the ground, trying to burn a hole in it. "As far as I'm aware, nobody will try to kill you if you go after him."

She looked up at her new friend. "Do you think… he'd be interested?"

Lucy tilted her head, looking her up and down. "Hmm… I don't know. To be honest, I've never seen him with anyone, and I've never asked. We aren't really close at all." Levy looked back down at the ground. "Buuut, I think you could do with looking a bit more rebellious. I mean, most people like others who look like them, right? Well, I guess, maybe not you."

Levy wrinkled her nose at her. "I've never really seen his type as attractive before, I don't know why I like him." She shrugged. She really had no idea. "But I suppose I could change my look a little. I don't mind, I don't exactly have a _style_ at the moment anyway."

Lucy's eyes gleamed. "A makeover?!"

She rolled her eyes. "Maybe not that far. I have hardly any money, so I won't be able to do anything drastic."

Lucy lifted an eyebrow. "I think you forget that I'm filthy rich."

Levy waved her hands around, shocked. "Nononono! I can't have you pay for something like this, no way."

Lucy stood up. "No, I've decided. We're going shopping." She started making for the door.

"Lucy, no!"

She whipped around, hands on her hips. "You've dangled a makeover in front of my eyes. There's no going back now. This is probably even _more_ for my enjoyment now than it is for yours. Beside, I'll never turn down an opportunity to spend my father's money. God knows he could use a bit less of it."

Levy grimaced. "But-"

"No buts. We're going."

She hung her shoulders in defeat. "Can we at least put a limit on the spendings? Like $100?"

Lucy laughed. "Oh hell no! How about this: in exchange for using my money, you have to do anything I tell you. No complaints on what I choose."

Levy contemplated this for a while. What if she wants to shave Levy's head? Or something crazy like dye it blue?! Surely not. With a nervous heart, she finally agreed to the terms. Maybe she shouldn't have, once she saw the evil genius glint in Lucy's eyes.

* * *

**Alright, that's it for chapter one! Hopefully the next one should be out very soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Mavis Vermillion Academy of Excellence**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Gajeel laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Today was boring. Most of his favourite haunts had been closed by the school for the open day. Everyone was busy. There was no one to annoy and nothing to do. He'd already been to the gym, and seeing as it was currently occupied by the two morons, he wasn't planning on going there again anytime soon.

He sighed, annoyed. Where was a good fight when he needed one? Maybe he should go into town and scrap with someone in an alley. He mulled over that idea for a while but then decided it was far too much of an effort for what would be either a very disappointing fight or not one at all.

Normally at this time of day he'd be strolling around, looking for a girl he could have some fun with. Sadly all of them were busy trying to make new friends with the new kids. He could hear giggling in the hallway, the screech of annoying chicks trying to impress the newbies.

He got up and grabbed his guitar. No matter what his 'friends' said, he believed himself to be an excellent singer and musician. He plucked at the strings, 'shoo-de-doo-ba-ing' along to the sound. A small grin played on his face. He definitely had a future as a jazz player.

* * *

The marathon shopping spree was over, finally.

They were back at the dorms. The sun was now setting. The entire shopping trip had taken almost five hours and Levy was absolutely exhausted. Erza had joined them for the ride, almost as in love with the idea of a makeover as Lucy was. She had thankfully managed to convince the girls to not make her entire wardrobe black. She refused to give up colour. The two girls got their revenge though, and decided if it wasn't going to be black, it was going to be skimpy.

Levy sighed, ready for bed. But the night was far from over; now it was time for the worst part of all. Hair colouring time.

Apparently Levy was not the only one getting her hair coloured that night. Natsu was also due for a top up of his colour. Lucy explained that the colour was the result of a bet made last year, and that Natsu had somewhat taken to the colour. Said it brought out his eyes.

Levy didn't even know what colour had been chosen yet. Lucy snuck into the hair aisle of the chemist while Erza was swatching her face with various makeup products.

She walked with Lucy and Natsu to the second floor women's bathroom. As she passed by the door next to hers, she could hear a horrible twanging sound of someone attempting to play guitar. She nudged Lucy and indicated at the door. Lucy laughed. "Yeah… that is the wondrous guitar skills of Gajeel. He plays in his room pretty often."

"And he doesn't get any better?" Levy asked, shocked.

Natsu and Lucy just laughed. Natsu walked up to the door and slammed on it. "Oi, Metalhead! Either learn to play or shut up!"

A harsh yell replied. "You wanna go Salamander?!"

Natsu was fired up now. "Hell yeah! Let's go right now!"

They heard footsteps as Gajeel stormed to the door. He yanked it open and glared down at Natsu. "What did you say about my music?"

"It's shit."

Gajeel's eye twitched. "You just don't know good music."

"Even the new chick hated it," Natsu jested back.

His eyes snapped up to Levy. She inwardly shrunk. Great. First time he's ever looked at her, and because she hated his music. His eyes narrowed. "New chick has shit taste too."

Levy blushed and looked away. She tried to think of something to say but her vocabulary eluded her. "I, uh, um…" she stuttered.

Lucy sighed with exasperation, and grabbed Natsu's collar. "Let's go." She dragged him down the hallway. Levy looked at her, desperate to be dragged too. When she realised that there was no hope of that, she gulped and looked back up at Gajeel. He glared down at her, murderous.

Her blush deepened. His eyes were so intense. "So, um… h-hey," she finally got out. His look didn't change. She finally couldn't take it anymore and just quickly stammered a goodbye and ran after Lucy. What a crazily intense person.

Gajeel slammed the door closed and stomped back to his bed and the guitar perched on top. Stupid Salamander. Stupid Bunny girl. Stupid new chick. His music was amazing. He sat on the edge of the bed, fuming. He bet none of them had ever picked up an instrument. Who were they to tell him he was bad?!

Another knock sounded on the door. He was about to yell when a soft voice called out. "Gajeel, it's Juvia." He grumbled and called out for her to come in.

She came in, slowly and gracefully. She always had a grace about her, like flowing water. "Juvia noticed that you were fighting with Natsu again." She sat down in his desk chair. "Did you want to talk?"

He glared at her. "Why the hell would I want to _talk_ about it?! It's just stupid Salamander, being stupid."

"…He insulted your music, didn't he?"

"…"

Juvia sighed. "Maybe he has a point._ Because_," She raised her hand, stilling his objections, "you want people to enjoy your music, don't you? Maybe you should adjust it a little, find a midway between what you like, and what they like."

"Why the hell should I?"

"Because there's nothing more useless than a musician who has nobody who wants to listen to him."

He furrowed his brow, but sat in silence. She had a point. He guessed. "I'll think about it," he finally grumbled.

"Good. Now, on to more… intriguing subjects. Gray looked beautiful today, didn't he?" she sighed in happiness. "I got to see his amazing chest again today, I don't think I'll ever grow tired of it."

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Why am I friends with you?" He sounded annoyed, but internally, he was happy. Juvia was his oldest friend, both of them coming from an orphanage in the next town over. While she certainly was very strange, he had a soft spot for her. She kept him grounded, stopped him from going overboard.

"Because you enjoy spending time with Juvia," she stated. She smiled down at him on the bed.

He shrugged. "I suppose. You're less annoying than the others."

She nodded. "I'll take that as a yes."

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying each other's company. They listened to the continued shouts and laughter of the other students in the dorm.

"What do you think of that Levy girl?" Juvia finally asked.

"Who?" Gajeel sighed.

"The new girl with Lucy. Short, blonde hair, cute. Apparently she's in the room next to you."

He closed his eyes. He assumed that was the one who was with Natsu before. "I dunno. Not really my type. I like 'em curvy."

"You don't have to look at all girls in terms of sexual attractiveness," she scolded.

He grinned. "Is there some other way to look at girls?" Juvia threw a book at him, earning a chuckle. "She looked alright. Cute, I guess."

"That's better."

"Wouldn't fuck her though."

Another book was thrown at him, this time hitting him in the head.

* * *

They taped a sign on the second floor women's bathroom saying that Natsu was inside and set a chair down at the basin. Natsu was up first. Lucy put on gloves and began mixing the peroxide for his brown roots. It would seem she had done this many times.

"Are you naturally blonde Lucy?" asked Levy politely, her brain scrambling for ideas that might get her out of this.

Lucy laughed. "Yes, why?"

"Just because you seem to know what you're doing."

"I do Natsu's hair all the time. I sometimes to Juvia's as well. And Erza's. And Laki's. A surprisingly large amount of people have coloured hair in this school. I think it's a school-wide fad. Even some of the teachers have coloured hair."

Levy hadn't met Laki yet, so she didn't know what colour she had. "What colour does Erza have naturally?"

"Orange," replied Erza as she walked into the bathroom. She smiled at Levy who was sitting on the sink. "I'm a ginger, I just prefer it when it's really vibrant. Kids at the orphanage used to call me Erza Scarlet as a joke. So when I got older, I decided to make my hair actually scarlet."

Levy nodded. Made sense.

Lucy began applying peroxide to Natsu's roots. He fidgeted quite often, resulting in him getting kneed by the 'natural' blonde. Erza and Levy watched them converse for the most part. They argued like an old couple.

"It itches," complained Natsu.

"Well too bad. Do you want pink hair? Deal."

"Can't you scratch it for me?"

"Hell no. When I'm done you can scratch your own scalp. You'll just make it worse though."

"No I won't."

"Oh yes you will."

The continued their bickering until she had covered all his roots. Then she turned to Levy, glint at full evil. "Your turn."

Natsu vacated his chair and Levy sat down, her stomach filled with dread. Her mum was going to kill her. Was she seriously this ready to colour her hair, just to impress one guy? She mulled it over. She definitely wasn't. So why was she still doing it?

Lucy changed her gloves and began mixing up more peroxide. Once it reached the desired consistency, she globbed some on her brush and stood behind Levy. "I bought you clothes, so there's no going back."

Levy sighed. That's why. "Alright, let's do this."

* * *

It was time to wash out her colour. She couldn't believe that the most outrageous idea she'd though of, blue hair, would actually be what she was given. Her hair was piled on her head, fully processed and ready to wash. There was definitely no going back now. She was stuck like this for at least a few months. Maybe she could get it out by the time she went back to visit her mum on holidays…

Natsu was drying himself off, pink staining his board shorts. But, seeing as they were already very stained, it seemed that's what he wore every time Lucy did his hair. Levy stripped to what was now her 'hair-dying swimsuit'; a one piece that Lucy had deemed too ugly to be worn to a swimming pool or beach. Normally she would shower naked but seeing as Natsu was in the room, this was certainly best.

She jumped in the small stall and turned on the water. She kept her eyes screwed tight and she washed out the colour. She could smell it running down her face. It was a far from pleasant experience. When she had finally washed enough for it to be considered 'clean enough', she put a hair mask on top to seal in the colour.

When she hopped out, the seed of dread filled her belly again. What if she looked really stupid? What if they just laughed at her? She sighed and told herself it was too late now to do anything anyway. She quickly dried herself and stepped out. Lucy, Erza and Natsu were all waiting for her. She felt self-conscious all of a sudden and wrapped the towel around her slight frame.

Lucy was the first to speak. "Holy cow! That looks so good Levy!" She was grinning from ear to ear. Natsu had a very similar expression. Erza's was of quiet approval.

"It suits you surprisingly well," said the redhead.

"You are officially a bluenette," grinned Natsu.

"B-bluenette?" Levy stuttered, smiling. It had a nice ring to it. She scrounged up her courage looked in the mirror.

They were right, the blue suited her. She had expected the colour to only wash her out more, but it went well against her pale bookworm skin. Her hazel eyes shone out now. She grinned. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to trust Lucy.

She grinned. "I like it."

She sat back down at the basin while Lucy checked for any damage. Lucy worked tenderly, making sure not to pull on any of the hairs too hard. As she looked, she instructed Levy on correct coloured hair care.

When it seemed that she got off scot-free, Lucy blow-dried her hair and sent her away to get dressed. They all needed to be downstairs for a dorm meeting, where all the new students would be introduced. It was the perfect opportunity to show off to Gajeel, according to Lucy. As such, she was expected to wear nothing but the new items bought for her. Levy sighed. There was a good chance she had already messed it up. His first impression of her wasn't exactly great.

She dumped out all the clothes onto her bed and stared at the pile with dismay. The reason she didn't have a style beforehand was because she didn't have the knowledge. That fact had not changed. She decided on the technique that had worked for her in the past. Close your eyes and pick out something at random.

The first thing she picked up was bright orange, very short dress. That'd do. She pulled that on with a pair of flats. Comfort was always at the forefront of her mind, and this outfit managed that surprisingly well. Only problem was she had never worn anything that short before. She imagined that a lot of skirt-holding would be prominent in her future. She eyed the makeup bags and decided it was not worth the effort to attempt that by herself.

She walked back out to meet up with the others. They were waiting in the seating area of the second floor landing. Natsu had disappeared up to the third floor, the male-only dorm floor. Lucy and Erza stopped their animated conversation to look at her. They each had an expression that resembled the pride of a parent at their child learning to walk. Lucy had to wipe the tears away. "It's beautiful," she sniffed.

Levy smiled. "So you think it looks alright? The orange and blue don't clash?"

They both shook their heads. Levy breathed a sigh of relief. "Shall we then?" she grinned.

They walked together down to the first floor commons. Many people milled around already, chatting in small groups or sitting by themselves. True to Lucy's word, there were many students with bright unnatural hair colours.

They found a small two seater couch and squeezed in together. Sitting on the next couch over was a man with blue hair and a face tattoo. Instead of casual clothes or a school uniform, he wore what looked like work overalls. Erza greeted him and introduced him to Levy as the school groundskeeper, Jellal. He had graduated last year, but remained at Fairy Tail dorm until they could make room for him in the teacher's quarters.

Levy leaned over to Lucy and whispered, "Did he have that tattoo when he was at school here?"

Lucy nodded. "He came to school with Erza, one of the kids they adopted. Apparently his parents were big drug users and one night when they were high, they knocked him out and tattooed him."

Levy opened her mouth in shock. "Are you serious?!" She looked over her shoulder at the couple. Neither of them seemed to have noticed the topic of conversation, too absorbed with each other.

Mira stepped up to the group now and quietened them down. "Alright everyone," she started. "Welcome to a new year at Mavis Vermillion Academy!" There was some clapping. "We welcome thirty-seven new students this year into our dorm. Some of you may be adopted, some may have paid their own way and some others may have achieved a scholarship. But no matter what your background is, remember this; you are now part of the Fairy Tail family! We expect you to love and care for one another, help each other out and to make your new father, Master Makarov, very proud of you."

More cheers sounded, the loudest from those Levy knew to be adopted. "He chose each and every one of you to be his new children. Make sure that he didn't make the wrong decision." Her smile dropped and everyone knew she was very serious. But she soon smiled again, moving onto the next topic. "Now, I will have each and every one of you stand up and introduce yourselves."

Everyone went around the room, giving a short little speech about who they were. Some, like Natsu, laughed and boasted the entire way through. Others like Juvia only managed a few mumbled words while staring at their feet. Gajeel stood. "My name is Gajeel Redfox," he stated disinterestedly. "That's it." He sat back down. There was complete silence. Were it any other student, Mira would have pressed for more information. Seeing as it was Gajeel, she let him slide.

The introductions went on a while longer. Some mentioned whether they were adopted or paid their way but most didn't. None had said they had earned a scholarship. Finally it was Levy's turn. She stood up, a blush already making its way across her face. "Um, my name is Levy McGarden. I… uh… I'm a scholarship student, new here this year." Some mutters spread around the group. Scholarships were very rare. "I like to read… um… that's it. Thank you." She sat down quickly, knowing her face was beet red. Lucy patted her shoulder then stood up to deliver hers.

When she looked up, she noticed Gajeel's eyes on her. He raised one pierced eyebrow and pulled at a strand of his hair, indicating at hers. She was honestly surprised he even knew there was a difference. A grin spread on her face and she nodded. He smirked and turned back to the group.

Maybe he didn't hate her from that scene before with Natsu. Maybe there was a chance.

* * *

**A/N: I originally had the whole shopping trip in, without any of the Gajeel POVs. But after mulling on it a while, I decided that the trip itself was pretty pointless to have in the story (trust me, it was boring), and adding in Gajeel made it far more interesting. It will likely make the story progress better later on anyway.**

**Next chapter: First day of classes!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Mavis Vermillion Academy of Excellence**

**Chapter 3**

**Devil Worship?!**

* * *

Levy was woken bright and early the next day by Lucy banging on her door. She rubbed her face and groaned at the noise. She finally got up and trudged to the door. When she opened it, she was happy to see that Lucy came bearing gifts – breakfast, two student diaries and her new uniform. She gratefully accepted a cup of coffee and sat back on her bed, pulling the blanket around her shoulders.

Lucy dropped her loot on the desk and sat in the chair, sipping on her own coffee. "So," she said, smiling brightly. "You ready for your first day?"

Levy shrugged, yawning. "I would prefer to sleep a bit more to be honest. I got a really bad night's sleep." She yawned, bringing the hot liquid back up to her lips. Despite how nonchalant she acted, it still was a first day at a new school. Plus, the library of her dreams would be open today. That alone made her too anxious to sleep properly. She could see the beautiful Victorian style building from her window, practically calling her name.

"That's not the way you should speak about your first day," Lucy pouted. "The first day also means the first impression for most people, and as such, you have to look your best!" Her eyes gleamed with the prospect of showing off. She grabbed the student diaries with gusto, flicking to the page she knew would contain their timetables. "So… you have a tech class first up, with Mr Rocko. Hmm, I have tech as well, but in the classroom down the hall. I can still take you. After that is science… we're not together either… hmm. History… nope. Huh. Oh! There's one. We have Latin together in the afternoon."

Levy smiled. "Well, at least there's one class." It gave them both something to look forward to for the day. Until of course, classes were over and she'd be able to explore the library. Upon further inspection, Lucy found that there were two more classes which they had together – Art and Math.

They ate the breakfast Lucy brought up quickly, sparing little time for chat. They still had an hour before classes started, but according to Lucy that was 'barely any time at all'. As soon as she finished the last piece of toast, Lucy grabbed the tray off her and pulled her out of bed. She ripped open the plastic packet containing her new uniform, throwing it to her. "Uniform. Now." This was more of a demand than a request. Levy hastened to pull on the many layers that comprised her uniform: blouse, skirt, vest, blazer, high socks, shoes, and a tie bearing the insignia for Fairy Tail.

Lucy circled her, assessing the outfit. She rolled up the sides of the skirt, effectively making it shorter. "We'll take it to Ms Aries later, she can fix it," she remarked. When Levy attempted to complain, Lucy reminded her that she was quite a bit shorter than the other girls, and because of that the skirt fell well below her knees. She blushed and agreed, accepting the shorter length. The blazer covered up to lumps from the folding, so it didn't really matter too much. What she couldn't really fix immediately was that the sleeves were also too long, making it so only her fingertips poked out. At least she was allowed to remove the blazer in class, so it wouldn't get in the way.

Once uniform assessment was complete, Lucy sat her in the desk chair and pulled open the newly acquired makeup case. Levy noted that Lucy already had perfectly applied makeup. How long had she been awake…?

Lucy applied her makeup with expert precision, teaching her along the way how to do it herself. Levy listened intently. Her mother wasn't very into makeup, nor were her old friends from home, so she had practically no experience. Because she was teaching as she went, the process took longer than expected. By the time she had a perfectly applied face, it was fifteen minutes until the first class started. Seeing as it was a five minute walk up, and they had to be at least five minutes early, that left only five minutes for hair and readying to leave. Levy thanked herself for packing her bag the night before.

Lucy quickly ran a brush through the blue hair, trying to tame the wild curls into some sort of order. Before long she grew frustrated. Giving up, she grabbed a ribbon and tied most of Levy's hair back, leaving two strands to fall by her face. She patted Levy's head. "That'll do." Levy scrunched up her face. As the morning went on, she felt more and more like Lucy's pet.

But as Levy examined herself in the mirror, she had to hand it to the blonde. She looked great. She grinned up at Lucy in the reflection. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Lucy grinned as well. "Yeah, I know."

They collected their gear and walked out the door. As she slung her bag over her shoulder, Levy turned to her friend and asked where hers was.

It was then Lucy realised she had not packed her bag yet. Squeaking, she rushed to her room. "Sorry, Levy, you'll have to go without me." She stopped to look back at Levy and saw something behind her, making her smile mischievously. A wicked gleam shone in her eye, notifying Levy that something was definitely up. "Hey, why don't you take her? You know the way. Thanks!" She ran in her room, slamming the door closed, leaving Levy, and whoever was behind her alone in the hall before either could object.

* * *

Gajeel watched Lucy run into her room with disdain. Why should he do anything for the new girl? She wasn't his type at all. He looked down at her. She looked up at him, frozen with shock.

The new hair colour suited her. He noticed it the night before and was charitable enough to remark on it. He always approved of a little rebellion. Besides, after spending so much time with Juvia, he had come to the decision that blue hair did indeed look really good on girls. He hazarded to think it might be his favourite hair colour. Not on dudes though.

"New girl," he stated, continuing to stare at her. Most people couldn't look him in the eyes for very long. He wondered how long she'd last.

She blushed, the colour showing brighter than normal against her hair. "H-Hi… Gajeel," she stammered.

He grinned. She was like a little kid. In stature and personality. Her gaze wavered she didn't look away from his gaze. Most other people would have broken away by now. Hell, most people would have ran. He mentally ticked another box. Even if she did resemble a kid, she had more guts than most of the people in the school. It could be that she was frozen in fear though. That did happen occasionally.

He poked her forehead, breaking her out of her reverie. She jumped away from him, blushing harder. A hand was wrapped around her forehead and a pout on her lips. He noted that only her fingertips poked out of her blazer. She was so tiny. "That hurt," she sulked.

His grin widened. "Well I wouldn't have poked you if you weren't frozen. Am I that scary?" He was taunting her, seeing what she would do next.

She frowned. "I'm not scared of you! I… I was…" she fumbled around for an excuse.

He sighed mockingly and walked past her, placing a hand on her head and messing up her hair, much to her displeasure. "You don't have to lie now. Nearly everyone is scared of the _big bad Gajeel_. As they should be," he added, nodding to himself.

She swatted at his hand, awkwardness forgotten. He knew he had riled her up now. "I am _not_ afraid of you. I was looking at your eyes. I've never met someone with red eyes before."

He looked down at her as she trotted at his side. She had a reasonably serious expression on her face. He cocked a brow. "They're just brown," he stated matter-of-factly.

"No, they are definitely red," she pouted back.

He sighed. It seemed she had a very stubborn personality. Which didn't exactly mesh with his own stubbornness. But he let this one slide – he had to admit that his eyes did look kinda reddish. "Whatever. So I'm taking you to class?"

Levy sighed, looking back at Lucy's room. They could hear her angry complaining and heavy objects being thrown. She obviously had completely forgotten about unpacking. "Yeah, it seems so. Sorry Gajeel."

He shrugged. "Whatever, we're going the same way. Besides, you're a scholarship student, which means you were chosen especially by the old man. Everything you do reflects directly onto him. I don't want you causing any trouble for him," he grumbled. Master had saved him from that orphanage. He owed the guy.

Levy trained her eyes on the floor. "Seems I'll have to be very careful."

"Yup."

She scowled at him, but the grin he sported made her crack a smile too. He had to admit, she was kinda cute when she smiled.

* * *

Levy silently thanked Lucy for forgetting to pack a bag. There was a good chance the blonde had planned this anyway. Now she got to walk to class alone with Gajeel. Surprisingly, the conversation flowed pretty well, at least after he had teased her enough.

They walked out the front doors together, Mira waving them out. The sun was already high in the sky, beating down on them. It was still summer, so they were sweltering in their blazers. At least the main buildings were air-conditioned.

"Oi, shrimp."

His voice broke her out of her thoughts. She snapped up to look at his face. The annoyance there said that she had probably spaced out. She blushed, embarrassed. "Sorry, did you say something?"

"Yeah. What class do you have?" he grumbled.

"Oh, right," she laughed, fishing through her bag for her diary. "Um… let's see… wait. Did you call me shrimp?" she looked back up at him, mildly ticked off.

He grinned. "Yeah, what of it?"

She scowled. "I am not a shrimp," she stated.

He laughed and placed his arm on her head. "Suuuure."

She swatted him off again, gaining her more laughter. He had the strangest laugh. Rather than a 'haha' noise, it more resembled a 'gihi'. She scanned through her book again, ignoring his taunts. "I have a computer class with Mr Rocko."

"Well, that makes my life easier squirt. You're with me."

She whacked him. "I am not a squirt either." While she maintained an air of annoyance on the outside, internally she did a little dance. First class with her crush. She could tolerate all the nicknames in the world for that.

She knew about his penchant for nicknames before that morning anyway. Lucy had told her while putting on her makeup, as well as that it's best to fight back a bit. She knew that Gajeel quite enjoyed playful banter, and would often call her 'bunny girl', after her most recent Halloween costume. The fact that he could tease her and she'd swipe back made him consider her a friend. He hated the whiney girls.

Levy grinned to herself. Everything was going according to plan. They walked together up the path to the teaching building, arguing about her height. She really was tiny in comparison to him. She barely reached his collarbones. She wondered how awkward it would be, should they ever kiss. He'd have to lean down a hell of a long way to get to her lips…

"You're spacing out again shortie." Her hair was ruffled again. It seemed to be his favourite move.

She bumped into his side, hiding her giggle for being able to touch him. she pulled back and focused on fixing her hair. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked why you chose to apply for MVAE. I heard from Juvia you transferred from far away. Couldn't you have found a school closer?"

She blushed. Had Juvia said that on her own, or had Gajeel been interested in her? "Oh, I chose this school for many reasons. But I really fell in love because of its library." She didn't notice him stiffen beside her, and went into gush-mode. "I saw it in the brochure and it was a done deal. Ah…" she sighed happily. "The dark woods, the tall bookshelves, the running ladders, the deep, red covered seats. It reminds me really strongly of the library described in Beauty and the Beast. I fell in love with that story as a child. Have you ever been there Gajeel?" She turned up to look at him and finally noticed.

He was very stiff, refusing to look at her. His jaw was clenched. While he didn't stop walking, his movements were now robotic, as if he now had to force himself to remain calm. "G-Gajeel?" she stammered quietly. She reached out a hand to touch him. The contact on his arm made him jump like her hand was ice.

He shook his head, breaking himself out of whatever mental state he was in. His usual smirk spread onto his face and he looked down at her. She could tell it was forced. "Sorry shrimp, I guess I spaced out that time. The library huh?"

She guessed he didn't want to talk about whatever was bothering him, so she moved on. "Yeah… yeah, I really like it. So, um, what about you? You're one of the adopted kids, aren't you?" He nodded assent. "It's fine if you don't want to talk about it," she quickly added, not wanting to force him to talk about anything.

"Nah, it's fine. But it's a long story. I, uh, like libraries too." His segway was terrible. But she let it slide. She grinned at the thought of Gajeel lazing around with a book. Possibly one of the sexiest thoughts she'd had of him yet. She couldn't decide if that was a good thing, or an example that she liked books _too_ much...

The bell rung, signifying the first class would begin in five minutes. He cursed and took off at a jog. She ran after him at full pelt, just to match his long strides. They ran inside the main building's front doors and up the stairs to the second floor classrooms. Gajeel grabbed her timetable from her hand and checked which room they were in. She didn't bother objecting. As long as he got her to class on time, it didn't matter.

They finally stopped out the front of a computer lab room, Levy panting heavily. Gajeel looked like he hadn't even broken a sweat. The teacher smiled at them and gestured to two computers near the front of the class. He didn't even ask if they were supposed to be in that class - it was as if already knew. It seemed everyone else was already in. As they sat down, the second bell went for classes to begin.

"Alright," started the teacher, clapping his hands and gaining everyone's attention. "Welcome to Technology class. Some of you will be continuing this class from previous years while others will be starting fresh. As you can imagine, we will be learning all about computers and current technology. We will start the year…"

He dragged on with the speech for fifteen minutes, handing out information for what will be their first assessment. Gajeel already had his head in his hand, dozing next to her. She decided his sleeping face was cute, a nice difference from his usual gruff demeanour. It was very hard to do anything with him that close to her. His shoulder was practically touching hers, every breath shooting nervous electricity through her. Now that he wasn't teasing her and constantly keeping her on her toes, she began to regress into her shyness. Even while he wasn't watching her. She kept sneaking glances at him throughout the class. It seemed that the teacher had no plans to wake him up. She noticed that Mr Rocko also sported a tie emblazoned with the Fairy Tail symbol. Maybe he had known Gajeel for a long time and understood his personality. And maybe she was very obvious in her affection, because he kept smiling at her knowingly.

The bell rung again for the five minutes period to get to the next class. Surprisingly, Gajeel was out of his seat before she was. Or maybe not so surprising, given that he didn't have to close or save anything, nor shut down his computer. It had never been on.

He checked against her timetable again before they walked out and found out that they had the next class together as well. He smirked. "You stalkin' me shrimp?"

She puffed out her cheeks and took back her diary. "How could I possibly be stalking you? Maybe it's _you_ who's stalking _me_!" she taunted back.

He laughed and ruffled her hair. "Alright, don't get your panties in a knot."

She blushed and crossed her arms, looking away. "Stupid Gajeel," she pouted.

They walked side by side through the school to the sub building where basic science was held. The class had already entered, so they made their way in, sitting at the only bench still available. A small Lamia Scale student was already sitting at the bench. When he saw Gajeel all blood drained from his face and he quickly ran away, sitting on the other side of the room. A Blue Pegasus girl consoled the boy, glaring over at the couple.

Gajeel seemed completely oblivious to all the happenings, instead fishing around for his textbook. He glanced up at Levy. "Oi," he muttered. "Get yer stuff out before the teacher shows up."

Levy tilted her head, confused. "You didn't care at all last class... why such a big change?"

His eyes hardened. "Because last class was easy crap with an easy teacher. This teacher though..."

A loud bang resounded from the front of the lab room. Levy jumped in her seat and faced forward. The sound had come from a hand slamming down on the teacher's desk, the hand belonging to rough looking blonde man. He had a long scar falling across one eye and looked extremely menacing. Everyone was silent. Even Gajeel was at attention. This man was obviously not someone you crossed.

He began his opening speech with a thunderous voice. "I am Laxus Dreyar. Grandson of Master Makarov, and potentially the inheritor of Fairy Tail dorm. I am also you science teacher this year. You will refer to me as Laxus or Sir. Never Mr. Dreyar." His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the students. "I expect to be treated with nothing but the highest respect. Got that?!"

"Yes Sir!" resounded the class.

Laxus lectured the students about the curriculum for the year. The current entire semester would be based on electricity. His eyes seemed to gleam when he stated this. If any of the students made any unnecessary noises or movements, chalk would fly through the air to strike them on their foreheads. Laxus had excellent aim.

After an agonizing hour of being drilled on what was expected of them as MVAE students, the bell rang to free them. As they scrambled to stuff their belongings back in their bags for the next class, Laxus continued to speak. "The first assessment will be done in pairs, as will most of the course work this year. I expect you to choose your partner and sit next to them next class. Alright, dismissed."

They practically ran out, clearing the room in fifteen seconds flat.

Levy leaned against the wall outside, hand to her head. It pounded with a headache, brought on by Laxus's shouting. "Is he always like that?" she asked exasperated.

Gajeel stood next to her. "Yeah. He's a real hard ass. Scary mother fucker..."

Levy looked up at him. He seemed almost as tired as she was. She gave him a small encouraging smile. "What class do you have next?"

He checked his timetable. "History."

She grinned. "Me too! Are we in the same class again?" They compared timetables and her smile dropped. "Aww, next door."

He laughed. "Miss me already huh?" he taunted.

She elbowed him in the gut, cutting his laughter short. "It's just nice having a friend in my class," she pouted.

"A friend huh?" He grinned down at her.

She smiled back up. "Of course, what else would I call you?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. Sexy beast maybe?"

Another elbow.

* * *

History class was rather uneventful to start. Natsu was in her class, but he fell asleep almost as soon as it started.

Halfway through her teacher, a large bald man named Mr Neekis, had to step outside to speak to another teacher. While he was gone, Levy felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to face two guys she vaguely recognised. They both bore Fairy Tail ties and large grins. "Hey, you're Levy right? The new scholarship girl?" one asked. He had bright orange hair, spiked up around his face and a wolfy grin. The other had black hair and tan skin.

She nodded her assent. "I'm Sarusuke. Everyone calls me Jet. This is Droy." He indicated to them both. "We saw you at the introductions last night, and we were in your science class last period."

She smiled. "Ah, of course. I thought I recognised you. You sat behind me."

They nodded. "And you sat with that _devil_..." They shuddered, not able to finish their sentence.

She tilted her head. "Who? Gajeel?" They nodded again, terrified expressions on their face. She giggled. "Oh, he's harmless."

Jet turned serious, grabbing both her hands between his. "No, he's really not. We've heard rumours about him... they say the girls he goes on dates with never come back the same... If he does anything to you Levy, you have to come to us! We'll deal with him!"

Her face turned brooding, ignoring their last statement. "Dates...?" Lucy had not mentioned anything about him dating people...

Droy piped in. "Yeah, they always come back in a daze. Nobody knows where he takes them, but when they return, it's never the same. I bet he curses them or something. Sells their soul to his devil master."

She couldn't help but laugh. "I highly doubt he has a _devil master _guys."

Her laugh was infectious to them and they ended up laughing too. Mr Neekis took this moment to return to the classroom and resume the lesson. They quietened down and she returned to facing the front. Despite laughing, she was annoyed at what they said. Did Gajeel really take a lot of girls on dates? Obviously enough for a weird rumour to be made... She mulled over the new information, her aura growing darker and darker throughout the class until by the end, it was practically visible.

Was Gajeel just some idiotic player, only leading her on to get some tail? Why hadn't Lucy told her about this? Why didn't anyone else? Surely they just didn't know. Surely they didn't know, even if he was. And if he was, how did he manage to keep it from her other friends? It was obviously a lie. Right?

There were so many questions she had unanswered. But she knew there was only one way she could find out the truth: go to the source.

The bell rang and she shot out the door to wait beside the next classroom. When the pierced man emerged, she grabbed his arm and yanked him down the hallway. "We need to talk," she stated.

"What the hell shrimp?" he growled, trying to get out of her grip. She was surprisingly steadfast when in need of answers. Though to be fair, he wasn't putting up too much of a resistance.

When she located a reasonably empty hallway, she stopped and released his arm. She crossed her arms and looked up at him angrily. "I heard a rumour about you going on heaps of dates with women."

He scratched his head grumpily. "Yeah, so? That rumour's been flying around for years..."

"They say the girls never come back the same."

"Humph. Are they also still saying I make pacts with the devil?" She opened her mouth but couldn't decide on how to answer. He leaned down so they were eye to eye. "It's all bullshit. They're just scared of me."

Levy was lost for words. His leaning down had brought his face very close to hers. Their noses were practically touching. "Uh, well, I..." she fumbled for words. "Well... m-most rumours have at least _some_ truth to them... and you didn't really seem like the guy to do that stuff. I... I wanted to make sure I wasn't making friends with the wrong kind of guy..."

He tilted his head, not moving away. A large grin spread on to his face. "I don't recall asking you _why_ you wanted to know," he taunted. "Does little Levy perhaps have a crush on me?"

She made the quickest face she could think of to throw him off: a grimace. "Hell no." That'll do.

He laughed and stood back up. She turned on her heel and quickly walked back to the classrooms, dodging the hand that was going to ruffle her hair. She made a mental note to never try and make her hair nice when she would be in the company of Gajeel.

Natsu was waiting at the classroom door, as well as Jet and Droy. Natsu launched at Gajeel with a fist, ready to fight. Jet and Droy eyed him warily.

"We haven't had a fight in a while, Gajeel!" yelled Natsu, his fist connecting with the open palm of the taller man.

"Yeah, because I don't go into fights I know I can win easily," retorted Gajeel. They walked side by side down the hall, bickering while throwing the occasional fist or foot.

Jet and Droy fell into step with Levy. They followed the other two at a safe distance. They asked her what she ran off about, but she waved them off, telling them it was nothing. They reminded her profusely that she should call on them should she get into any trouble. She knew she should probably feel very smothered by the boys if they kept this up, but in the end she didn't mind. Instead she felt an almost brotherly presence from them. As long as she ignored their blatant and obvious want to get into her pants. Already she tried to think of ways she'd be able to turn the two boys down. Probably best to do it soon, before either guy got their hopes up. At the same time, there was certainly with blurting out that sort of anti-confession too early, she didn't want to seem stand-offish or rude. The time would come, just not yet...

* * *

**A/N: Sorry I cut it at a kinda... crappy part. I'll be jumping on to the next chapter right now! Hopefully up in the next couple of days, now that Easter's all over.**

**I have this huge chapter plan set out until about chapter 20… but no matter how hard I try I can never stick to it T_T**

**This chapter was supposed to cover the entire first day but as you can see… that didn't exactly happen. I cut it short so it's not too much longer than the others. I'll be aiming for probably 5,000 a chapter. I suppose it's good for all of you, you get more chapters. And because I'm determined to get up to the good bits, I'll write faster.**

**I also take requests, if you wish for something in particular to happen in the story. A pairing, an event… I'll certainly consider it. Whatever the fans want, eh? ;D**

**Another note: I can't decide whether to make Gajeel, Wendy and Natsu all orphaned, or to have them as paying students. If I go that route, I would have the dragons be "The Dragons of the Business world; Metallicana the metalworks CEO, Igneel the coal CEO, and Grandine the alternative energies leader." Or... something like that. I can't decide if it's tacky or not. So yeah, please review with your opinions. If I go CEO route, I'll back pedal and edit my already up chapters. Let me know :3**

**Thank you, you're awesome!  
GSFG**


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